Chair and Trustees of the Victoria & Albert Museum
Paul Ruddock reappointed as Chair, and Michelle Ogundehin and Bob Stefanowski reappointed as trustees, of the Victoria & Albert Museum.
The Prime Minister has reappointed Paul Ruddock as the Chair of the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) for four years from 1 November 2011 to 31 October 2015.
Michelle Ogundehin and Bob Stefanowski have been reappointed for terms of four years from 15 September 2011 to 14 September 2015.
Biographical notes
Paul Ruddock
Paul Ruddock is Chief Executive of Lansdowne Partners Limited, an investment management firm he co-founded in 1998. Previously he held various senior positions with Schroders PLC and its American subsidiary Schroder and Co. Inc. Prior to this he had worked at Goldman Sachs. He has an MA and BA (1st class) in jurisprudence from Oxford University. He is a member of the Development Board for The Access to Excellence Campaign of Mansfield College, Oxford, and is a Fellow of the College. He is a Trustee of the Burlington Magazine Foundation and the Metropolitan Museum, New York and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries.
Michelle Ogundehin
Michelle Ogundehin has contributed to publications all over the world and is internationally renowned as an authority on interiors, style and design. She was appointed Editor-in-Chief of ELLE Decoration in May 2004, consolidating a relationship with the magazine that started in 1997. At the 2011 PPA Awards, ELLE Decoration was awarded Specialist Consumer Magazine of the Year and Michelle was Highly Commended as Editor of the Year. She was made an Ambassador for Diversity in Public Appointments by the Government Equalities Office in 2009, and a director of the South Coast Design Forum in 2008. Trained as an architect at London’s celebrated Bartlett School, and having worked in architectural offices in both London and New York, she began her journalistic career on the launch of Tate Art Magazine, followed by Blueprint Magazine, before being head-hunted to join ELLE Decoration in 1997. She also directs her own creative consultancy, MO:Studio, established in 2002.
Robert Stefanowski
Bob Stefanowski is a senior financial leader with 25 years experience in Corporate Finance and Private Equity. He is currently Chairman and Managing Partner of Asia and the Americas for 3i Group plc. Previously, Bob was President and CEO of General Electric Corporate Finance Europe. Bob was appointed a Company Officer by the GE Board of Directors in 2006. Bob has an MBA in Finance from Cornell University and is a member of the adjunct faculty at Cambridge University, Imperial College and London Business School.
Notes to editors
The V&A’s mission statement is ‘To be the world’s leading museum of art and design; enriching people’s lives by promoting knowledge, understanding and enjoyment of the designed world.’ The V&A is sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), and is a charity exempt from registration under the Charities Act of 1993. It operates at arm’s length from the Government and is governed by a board of Trustees appointed by the Prime Minister.
Trustees of the V&A give their services on an honorary basis but reasonable expenses are reimbursed.
All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in selection or reappointment processes. In accordance with the original Nolan recommendations, there is a requirement for political activity in the United Kingdom in the past five years to be made public. Paul Ruddock has spoken on behalf of and made a recordable donation to the Conservative Party.